Essay Writing for dummies -By Mr. McClung I do not think you are dummies. This guide should help anyone.

There are many ways to write an essay but you need to know the basics before you can create your own styling.

An essay has three main parts The Introduction - Statements of what the essay is about and the thesis - Paragraphs that contain your evidence and reasoning The Body The Conclusion - Restate thesis and summarize argument

WHAT IS THE TOPIC? An assigned topic essay Pick your own topic essay Choose a subject that people have strong opinions about. eg. Bieber, Oil Sands, Politics etc. or An assigned topic essay You need to know what the question is asking you. -If you are allowed to ask the teacher do it!

Samples of topic questions Is it right to eat meat? Should we have the death penalty in Canada? Do video games lead to violence? Is it right for scientists to clone animals and one day humans? Should Justin Bieber run for parliament? Are the Oil Sands an environmentally sustainable source of energy? Should the age of “adult accountability” coincide with the development of the human brain? Are cats better as pets than dogs?

Thesis I see that in this essay the author claims that cats are better pets than dogs because they like to snuggle more, require less attention and can be potty trained on a real toilet. Now that you have your topic you can develop a thesis. A thesis states your opinion/position that you are going to present in your essay. It is also a “road map” so the reader can understand where the essay is going to go.

Now you should be able to develop a solid introduction! Begin with an attention grabber There are two million more cats as pets in Canada than dogs. Some people may like the feel of the soft fluffy coats that cats have. Cats have an aesthetic appeal that many people consider cute. They also enjoy spending time playing games with simple objects like string. It could be argued that dogs share many of these same attributes but cats are better pets than dogs because they like to snuggle more, require less attention and can be potty trained on a regular toilet. There are two million more cats as pets in Canada than dogs.1 Some people may like the feel of the soft fluffy coats that cats have. Cats have an aesthetic appeal that many people consider cute. Most cats also enjoy spending time playing games with simple objects like string. Elaborate with statements End with thesis statement 1. Canadian Animal Health Institute, Latest Pet Population Figures Released , Retrieved from: http://www.pijaccanada.com/common/assets/cdn%20animal%20health%20institute%202007%20cat%20and%20dog%20ownership%20survey%20press%20release.pdf , Nov. 2, 2011.

Body Paragraph #1 The topics of the paragraphs come from your thesis. Paragraph #1 topic: Cats like to snuggle more than dogs. Step one - evidence - examples, quotes, facts and/or statistics that support the paragraph topic. Step two - explanation and reasoning of how your evidence supports the topic Repeat these steps.

Body Paragraph #2 The topics of the paragraphs come from your thesis. Paragraph #2 topic: Cats require less attention than dogs. Step one – Transition sentence. Step two - evidence - examples, quotes, facts and/or statistics that support the paragraph topic. Step three - explanation and reasoning of how your evidence supports the topic Repeat steps two and three.

Body Paragraph #3 The topics of the paragraphs come from your thesis. Paragraph #3 topic: Cats can be potty trained on a regular toilet. Step one – Transition sentence. Step two - evidence - examples, quotes, facts and/or statistics that support the paragraph topic. Step three - explanation and reasoning of how your evidence supports the topic Repeat steps two and three.

Conclusion The purpose of the conclusion is to wrap up your essay. It is like tying a knot in a balloon. You need a few sentences that review the main points of your essay (do not just restate them). You should wrap up with a final sentence that ties it all together (perhaps a variation on the thesis or write a final attention grabber).

Check your writing -Re-read your essay (out loud if possible) -Have someone else read it (out loud) -Do the sentences flow? -Do you repeat words? -Do your pronouns make sense? -If you’re on a computer use spell/grammar check.